Chestnut Pudding

17/11/2023

Chestnut pudding is a typical autumnal sweet from the Italian tradition, especially in areas where chestnuts are abundant. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

500 g of chestnuts
500 ml of milk
100 g of sugar
1 vanilla pod
2 sheets of gelatin (or agar agar as a vegetable alternative)
Fresh cream (optional for serving)

Preparation

Score the chestnuts with a small knife, put them in a pot with water and boil them for about 40 minutes. After cooking, peel them by removing the skin and the inner thin film.
Put the chestnuts in a pot with the milk and sugar. Split the vanilla pod lengthways and scrape out the seeds, adding them to the pot along with the empty pod.
Cook over low heat for about 20 minutes, then remove the vanilla pod.
Blend the chestnuts in their milk until smooth.
Soak the gelatin sheets in cold water for a few minutes. When they are soft, squeeze them out and dissolve them in the still-warm chestnut puree, stirring well to evenly distribute the gelatin.
Pour the obtained cream into wet molds or a single mold and let cool. Then refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
When ready to serve, briefly dip the mold in hot water and invert the pudding onto a serving plate. If desired, you can accompany it with whipped cream.

Chestnut pudding can be customized in many ways. For example, you can add chocolate chips to the cream or flavor it with a liqueur such as rum or brandy. Moreover, if you want a crunchy touch, you can decorate the pudding with toasted hazelnut grains or caramelized chestnuts.

Enjoy your preparation and bon appétit!